Treatment of leather



March 28, 1939. c. s. JENNINGS ET Al.

TREATMENT OF LEATHER Filed Aug. 4, '195e 14 Sheets-Sheet l March 28, 1939. c. s JENNINGS ET AL 2,152,312

TREATMENT 0E LEATHER Filed Aug. 4, 1936 14 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 28, 1939.

C. s. JENNINGS ET AL TREATMENT oF LEATHER Filed Aug. 4, 195e 14 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 28, 1939- c. s. JENNINGs ET AL 2,152,312.

TREATMENT 0F LEATHER Filed Aug. 4, 1936 14 Sheets-Sheet 4' MMM Lilli mi iill fflllm miimmimwimn muslim;

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TREATMENT OF LEATHER 14 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 4, 1936 c. s. JENNINGS ET AL .2,152,312

March 28, 1939.

TREATMENT 0E LEATHER Filed Aug. 4, 1956 14 Sheets-Sheet 6 March 28, 1939- c. s, JENNINGS ET AL 2,152,312

` TREATMENT OF LEATHER Filed Aug. 4, 1956 14 Sheets-Sheer. l'7' March 28, 1939- c. s. JENNINGS E1" Al. 2,152,312

TREATMENT OF LEATHER 14 sheets-sheet 8 Filed Aug; 4, 1936 March Z8,A 1939. 'c s. JENNINGS ET AL 2,152,312

TREATMENT OF LEATHER Filed Aug. 4, 1956 14 Sheets-Sheet 9 14 shees-sheev; 1o

March 28, 1939. c. s. JENNINGS Er AL TREATMENT OF LEATHER Filed Aug. 4, 193e o mi ,W m, e, .fw ,a m a w ma :I 9a7 M/ j VM F M i fl M M M L l m: J L o #h o c @b5 www M) m fl |\\.9n

14 Sheets-Sheet ll c: s. JENNINGS ET AL TREATMENT OF LEATHER Filed Aug. 4, 195e q u i 4 9m 4 a Q 9 f Q1 M n0 a n\L L 0 i l l J 9M 1 4 .W m 9m WM l :i

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March 28, 1939- c. s. JENNINGs x-:T AL 2,152,312

v TREATMENT OF LEATHER Filed Aug. 4, 1936 14 sheets-'sheet 12 Nme kesef I4 March 28, 1939. c. s, JENNINGS ET A1.' 2,152,312

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Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED -sTATEs PATENT OFFICE W. Gerard, Dayton, Lamson Company, S

Ohio, asslgnors to The yracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 4,

' 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in the treatment of leather and more particularly in that treatment of hides by which they are brought into the most favorable condition for staking and in the apparatus by which such treatment may be carried out.

Heretofore hides have generally been dried by hanging or stretching them and allowing them to dry slowly subjected either to the outside atmosphere or to the atmosphere of a room or chamiber in which the temperature of the air may be controlled. Whichever way the hides were dried the drying medium was throughout the drying operation substantially uniform in condition, i. e. in temperature and humidit The primary object of this invention is to reduce to a minimum the time required to dry the leather and to control the drying treatment so that the leatherat the completion of the treatment is inthe most favorable condition for staking.

Various ways may be employed to attain this object, for example, the leather may be `subjected rst to the action of air which is substantially free from moisture and second to the action of humidied air. Ordinary room air may be supplied to the leather being treated, by the employment of fans if desired, either in addition to the two forms of air just mentioned or as substitute for either or both such forms. Y

Another object of this invention is to bring a stream of drying air into contact with the leather being dried in various directions, for example, parallel or perpendicular to the face thereof or at any acute angle thereto or in contact with the center of the hides before treating the entire surface uniformly.

Further objects of thisinventlon reside in the provision of definite controls vfor the speed of travel of the hides, and the status of the air to which they are subjected as well as the details of construction of the apparatus used.V

These and other objects of the invention will appear from a consideration of the following dez scription in which they are set forth at length and of the drawings which form a part of such description and in which Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically in side elevation one form of apparatus by which this lnvention may be carried out; l

Figs. 2 and 3 are views on an enlarged scale of portions of such. apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation on a still more enlarged scale of certain of the conveyor elements of the apparatus;

193s, serial No. 94,138 I (o1. 34-24) Fig. 5 is a Fig. 4;

Fig. 5n is an enlarged sectional detail of an element shown in Figs. 4 and 5 Fig. 6 is an enlarged end elevation taken along the line 6 6k in Fig. 2 illustrating the arrangement of vertical chains and tracks- Fig. '1 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line 1 1 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic side elevational View similar to Fig. 1 the center of the apparatus being omitted, illustrating one way of driving the various conveyors;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken plan view of the elements shown. in

along the line 9 9 in Fig. 1 illustrating one oir the independent units which may be provided to circulate the drying air;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 illustrating another form of such unit;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic side elevation illustrating one way ofsupplying and withdrawing drying air to the leather being treated; v

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line |2-I2 in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 illustrating a modiilcation of the structure shown in Figs. 11 and 12;

Figs. 14 Vandv`15 are plan and side elevation views respectively illustrating diagrammatically a leather drying apparatus of the tunnel type;

Figs. 16 and 17 are enlarged plan and side elevation views respectively of the feeding end of such apparatus;

Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line |8-l8 in Fig. 16 of an air circulating unit;

Fig. 19 is a view-similar to Fig. 18 illustrating a modification of the air circulatingunit there shown; 1

Figs. 20 and l21 illustrate diagrammatically in plan and side elevation views, respectively, a drying apparatus similar to that shown in Figs. 14 and 15 and provided with another 'form of air circulating mechanism; i

Figs. 22 and 23 illustrate in side elevation with parts broken away and in plan an apparatus similar to that shown in Figs. 20 and 21 provided with still another form of air circulating mechanism; s

Fig. 2 4 is a plan' view of another modification of the apparatus shown i'n Fig. 14;

Fig. 25 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig.

Figs. 26 and 27 are plan and side elevation views, respectively, of the discharge end of a vso still other means for supplying drying air thereto; and

Figs. 28 and 29 illustrate 'in cross section two types of drying apparatus which may be employed for carrying out this invention.

One type of treatment of leather embodied in this invention will be briefly described with ref- -erence to Fig. 1 of the drawings. Each hide 29 is removed from a rack 2l, secured to a rod 22 and loaded onto a vertical conveyor 23 by which it is raised through a p assage 24 to one end of the upper compartment of the: drier housing 25. A. transfer conveyor 24 removes the hide from the vertical conveyor and delivers it to a horizontal conveyor 21 by which itis transported through such upper compartment. Upon arrlving at the other end of that compartment the hide is transferred by a transfer conveyor 29 to a vertical conveyor 29 by which it is delivered to the second compartment. 'I'his travel of the hides continues in the same way through all the compartments.. The vertical conveyor 3B which receives the hides after their travel through the final compartment transportsthem out of the drier housing to an operator who takes the hides from the conveyor and removes them from the rods, placing the hides on a rack 3i and returning the rods to a container 32.

The compartments of the housing 25 here shown are divided into two groups, an initial group comprising `compartments 35, l5, 31 and and a final group comprising compartments 39 and 40. The vertical passage 24 is separated from all the compartments except the upper compartment 35 by a wall 4I The `compartments are separated from each other by horizontal partitions 42 spaced alternately from the end wall 43 of the housing and the wall 4i to permit the passage oi' the hides from one compartment to the next. A horizontal strip 44 in alignment with and spaced from the partition 42 between the bottom compartment 33 of the initial group and the top compartment 29 of the nnal group substantially seals the'groups from each other. The bottom wall 45 of the housing is provided with .a passage 45 through which the conveyor 91| delivers the hides.

Dry conditioned air is introduced into the housing 25 through the inlet 50 in the bottom compartment 35 oi the initial group and after passing in a stream through all the compartments of that group is withdrawn from the housing through the outlet 5I. The outlet 5i is on the top wall 52 of the housing and extends over the vertical passage 24 Vso that when the drier is in use a stream of air is set up which flows through this passage and serves to remove surface moisture from thehidesas they move through the passage to the compartment 35. It will be noted that the stream of dry conditioned air flows in a direction opposite to that in which the hides travel. The air stream removes moisture from the hides with which it comesin contact so that when it leaves the housing its moisture content has vbeen greatly increased. The hides in the compartment 39 have obviously a lower moisture content than those in the top compartment 35 and since the air with which they come in contact in compartment I8 has allow moisture content the hides therein are given a final drying so that when they enter the top compartment 39 of.' the final group they are to all intents and purposes bone dry.

The amount of moisture picked up by the air 2,159,812 `drying apparatus of the tunnel type illustrating stream depends upon the condition of the hides as they enter the housing and their tex-ture. In

order to meet such variations and insure that the hides entering the final group are substantially bone dry the air stream may be reconditioned during its passage through the compartments, portions of the air stream being withdrawn through theoutlets 55 for reconditioning (i. e. lowering of the moisture content) and then returned through the inlets 55 -to the housing. The number of timesl the air is thus withdrawn and reconditioned may of course be varied according to the condition and texture of the hides. The hides entering the top compartment 39 of the final group are immediately subjected to the action of humid conditioned air which enters that compartment through the inlet 51 and flows in a stream through the compartment, in the same direction that the hides travel, to the outlet 59. The hides due to their bone dry condition quickly absorb moisture from this air stream so that when they leave the drier housing 25 they are in the most favorablecondition for staking. The amount of moisture in the hides is controlled both by the moisture content of the humid conditioned air and' also by the rate of travel of the air stream through the compartments. As to the second form of control it must follow that the air stream will naturally lose its effectiveness to transmit moisture to the hides and that by varying the speed the amount of effective air in the compartments can be controlled.

Various forms of apparatus for carrying out this treatment may be devised and that shown in Figs. 1 to 12 inclusive will i'lrst bedescribed.

'Ihe hides to be dried designated as 20 are suspended from rods 22 during their travel through the housing. The conveyors are all of the parallel endless chain type, each chain being provided with suitably formed fingers which engage the ends of the rods 22. 'Ihe rod 22 is provided at each end with a block or roller 60 spaced from the end and having certain functions which will be set forth hereinbelow. (See Figs. 4 and 5.)

The rods 22 are engaged inside the blocks 59 by the fingers 5I of the vertical conveyor 23, the lingers 52 of the horizontal conveyors 21, and the ngers 92 of the vertical conveyors 29 and 30, and are engaged outside the blocks by the fingers 54 and 55 of the transfer conveyors 25 and 28 respectively. The blocks 6i) thus serve to prevent any undue longitudinal shifting of the rods 22 relative to the conveyors.

Each compartment of the drier housing 25 is provided with a horizontal conveyor 21, a transferconveyor 29,- and a vertical conveyor 29. In addition the upper compartment 35 is provided with the transfer conveyor 25 and the lowest compartment 49 is provided with the vertical delivery conveyor 39. 1

The chains of the vertical conveyor 23 pass at the top over sprockets 11i fixed on stud shafts 1i andy at the bottom over sprockets 12. In the upper compartment 35 .thechains of the transfer conveyor 29 pass over sprockets 13 fixed on the stud shafts 1i and over sprockets 14 which turn freely on stud shafts 15, the chains of the horizontal conveyor 21 pass over sprockets 16 which turn freely on the stud shafts 15 and over sprockets 11 which are xedon .stud shafts 18, the

chains of the transfer conveyor 28 pass over sprockets 19 which turn freely on the stud shafts 18 and over sprockets 99 which are fixed on stud shafts 8l and the chains of the vertical conveyor 29 pass over sprockets 82 which are fixed on the stud shafts 8| and over sprockets 88 which turn freely on stud shafts 84. In the other compartments the chains of the horizontal conveyors 4v21 pass over sprockets 88 which turn freely on studshafts 88 and over sprockets 81 which are fixedon stud shafts 88, the chains of the transfer conveyors 28 pass over sprockets 89 which turn freely on the stud shafts 88 and over sprockets 98 which are fixed to stud shafts 8| and the vertical conveyors 29 and, in the lowest compartment 88, pass over sprockets 82 which are fixed to the stud shafts 9| and over sprockets 98 which turn freely on stud shafts.

The various stud shafts are mounted in bearings supported in any suitable way on the frame of the drier housing. It will be noted that all the stud shafts except 18, 84, 88.and 84 serve to drive conveyors and one way for supplyiil` DOwer thereto is shown in Fig. 8. Motors 98 actuate the drive stud shafts at one end of the housing and motors 88 actuate the drive stud shafts at the other end. While only the motors at one side of the housing are here shown in the draw.

ings it will be understood that there are similar motors at the other side and that the description here given applies to both. The motor 98 drives the stud shaft 1| and through the bevel gearing, shown more or less diagrammatically, drives the stud shafts 9| at the same rate of speed.

The stud shafts 88 are driven at a lower rate of speed from the adjoining stud shafts 9| by similar gearing. The motor 88 in like manner drives the stud shafts 18 at a uniform rate and the stud shafts 8| at a higher `rate of speed.

The shafts may be considered as forming two groups, the first comprising the shafts 1|, 8| and 8| which drive the vertical and transfer conveyors and the second comprising the shafts 18 and 88 which drive the horizontal conveyors. The shafts of each group are driven at a uniform rate of speed.

The hides as they travel horizontally through the compartments are fairly close together, e. g. the rods 22 are spaced four inches apart, but when they travel vertically the hides must be kept out of contact and hence the rods are spaced much further apart, e. g. four feet. 'I'his requirement is 'met first; by setting the rates of speed of the two groups so that under the conditionsmentioned above the shafts of the first group travel twelve times as fast as the shafts of the second group and second; by spacing the fingers of the conveyors corresponding distances apart, the fingers on the conveyors driven by the flrst group of I shafts being four feet apart and the fingers on the conveyors driven by the second group of shafts being` four inches apart., It will be noted that with these adjustments the hides will be moved by the conveyors 21 at one twelfth the speed they are moved by the conveyors 23, 28, 28. 28 and 38.-

'Ihe sprocket 18 on shaft 1| by which the conveyor 28 is driven is slightly out of register with the sprocket 18, on the same shaft, by which the conveyor 28 is driven, so that the fingers 8| on the latter conveyor slightly precede the fingers 84 on the former conveyor. The rod 22 of each hide raised by the conveyor 23 is carried by the fingers 8| onto a pair of guide strips 88 with `which the blocks or rollers 88 engage. the rod is moved along the strips |88 by the fingers 8| of the conveyor 23, then, as the fingers leave the rod and descend around the sprockets 18, by the fingers 84 of the conveyor 28 and finally of the conveyor 21,

of shafts correspondingly As shown on Fig. 4

3 as the fingers 84 leave the rod, by the fingers 82 of the conveyor 21. The ends of the strips |88 are inclined so that the rods, after passing the sprockets 18 and 18, are guided onto the chains the blocks 88 being at the outer sides of the chains and thus preventing undue lateral shifting of the ro The fingers 9|, and 82, are rigidly fixed upon the chains lofr the conveyors 28 and 28 and may. if desired, bel made integral with links thereof as shown in the drawings. The fingers 84 of the conveyor 28 however are preferably movable relative to the chains to facilitate the transfer of the rods without interference. Each finger 84 is mounted at the inner end of a pin |8| freely rotatable within a sleeve |82 by which two inner and outer links of the chain are connected in the usual manner. At the outer end of the pin |8| is fixed one end of an arm |88 carrying a roller |84 at the other end of the arm (seeFig. 5). 'I'he roller |84 during practically its entire travel rides on either the cam |88 or the cam |88. 'I'he cam |88 in general follows the path of the chain from the sprocket 14 around the sprocket 18 and back to the sprocket 14. The roller |84 rests on the outer face of the cam so that the finger 84 is held in the functioning position. The portion of the cam below the shaft 1| is slightly depressed and the roller is held in contact therewith by a short cam |81. The cam |88 engages the roller 84 during a portion of its travel around the shaft 18 between the ends of the cam |88. The roller rides on the inner face ofthe cam so that the finger is rearwardly inclined. As the finger passes the end of the cam |88 gravity acts on the roller |84 to swing the finger backwardly in which position it is held by the cam |88. The forward end of the cam |85 is upwardly inclined to engage the roller-|84 and swing the finger into the functioning position. Projecting from the finger 84 is a tongue |88 which engages the adjacent edge of the chain and serves as aglimit stop to check the movement of the finger as dt reaches the functioning position.

The fingers 8| and 84 are moved in unison and as the fingers 8| raise a rod thel fingers 84 swing in slightly behind the fingers 8| so that they engage and advance the rod along the strips |88 as the fingers 8| move downwardly. The cams |85 and |81 coact to swing the fingers 84 backwardly as they move into register with the fingers 8| thus avoiding any collision with the rod being advanced by the -fingers 8|. Similarly as the fingers 84 register withthe fingers 82 the rollers |84 leave the cam |85 so thatfas pointed out above, the finger swings backwardly from the rod which is now engaged and advanced by the fingers 82 with `which they register. The speed of travel of the fingers 84 is so determined that they will register with each pair of fingers 82 and consequently each pair of such fingers will advance a rod and the hide carried ythereby so long as the operators supply a rod and hide to each pair of fingers 8|. f

As the rods approach the end of compartment 85 the rods are removed from engagement with the fingers 82 by the fingers 85 ofv conveyor 2,8 and advanced into engagement with the fingers 88 of conveyor 28. The fingers 82 and 85 are so mounted and driven that each pair of fingers 82 will reglsterrwith a pair of fingers 85 asl the rods 22 pass above the shafts 18 and similarly the fingers 85 and 88 will register as the rods 22 pass above the shafts 8|. The fingers 88 deliver rods to each pair of fingers 82 of the succeeding conveyor 21. The rod engaging portion of each finger 93 is recessed to receive the rod and cradle it securely during its downward travel. The'tingers 93 and 95 are rigidly mounted upon and preferably integral with the chains of the conveyors 29 and 29 respectively in the same manner as are'the fingers 9| and 92 of the conveyors 23 and 21 respectively.

Suitable guard rails |09 extend over and are spaced from the fingers of the various conveyors to oppose any tendency of the rods to leave engagement with the fingers. T'he rails |09 further serve to position the rods on the conveyors 21 as they Vare delivered thereto by the ngers 93 of the vertical conveyors 29. p v

The chains of the various conveyors are of the roller type and travel in tracks suitably mounted on the housing between the conveyor sprockets. The tracks of the vertical conveyors 23 and 29 and the. tracks of theupper runs of the transfer conveyors 26 and 29 are' right angular in cross section. 'Ihe tracks ||2 of the lower runs of conveyors 29 and 28 aremerely at strips on which the rollers ride. The tracks ||9 of the upper runs of the horizontal conveyors 21 are U-shaped in cross section while the tracks ||4 of the lower runs of those conveyors are rectangular in cross section, the inner lower Tf' corner and portions of the adjacent bottom and inner wall being broken away to allow the fingers 92 to'travel without interference.

As stated above the hides being conveyed through the housing are subjected to the action of streams of air. Since the hides travel close s together through' the compartments the air streams are prevented from direct surface contact therewith except as the hides move vertically. .In order to attain such contact a plurality of supplementary units may be provided by which a' air is forced across and into direct contact with the faces of the hides. On Fig. 1 is indicated several such units designated by the numeral |20. The number and arrangement of the units may be varied as desired. p

As shown in Fig. 9 the units are preferably arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the housing, each pair acting simultaneosuiy upon thel same hide. Each unit. comprises 'blower |2| which draws air from a chamber |22 at a lower corner of the compartment and connected by apertures |23 in the inner wall with the interior of the compartment and blows it over the hides. through apertures |24 in the inner wall of a chamber |25 at the upper corner of the compartment. The air thus set in motion travels diagonally across the hides thus contacting from the upper corners thereof with the entire surfaces and in addition holding `the hides extendedand counteracting any tendency of the lower corners to curl as the hides dry.

Fig. l0 shows a unit |30 which may be substitutedV for a pair of the units |20. The unit comprises a blower |3| by which air is withdrawn from the housing through a chamber |32 at the bottom of the compartment and connected thereto by a plurality of apertures |33 and returned to the housing through a chamber |34 at the top of the compartment connected thereto by a plurality of apertures |35. -The air is thus Im blown down over the hides removing the moisture therefrom and also preventing the lower edges from curling up.

In place of the air circulating systems previously described that shown diagrammatically in Il Fig. 11 may be employed. The housing 25' cor- #,isasia responds in all respects to the housing 25 with the exception that the air instead of Abeing caused to flow in streams through a plurality of compartments is introduced into and .withdrawn from each compartment. As here shown the compartments are grouped in three pairs and each pair is supplied with air`of a certain moisture content and temperature by an independent unit. 'I'hus compartments 35' and 39' are supplied by the unit |49, compartments 31 and 39' by the unit |4| -and compartments 39 and 40 by the unit |42. Each unit includes a blower |43. The units |40 and |4| also include a heater |44 and the unit |4| includes in addition an inlet |45 by which additional air from without can, if desired, be supplied to the unit. The unit |42 may be provided with an air humidiiler or the air circulated as taken from the compartments. As shown in Fig. 12 the air is introduced into the housing through conduits and withdrawn therefrom through conduits |5I. These conduits are connected with ducts |52 and |53, respectively, located at the corners of the compartment and provided with apertures |54- through which the air enters or leaves the compartment. The air escapes from the ducts |53 of the upper compartment 35' through an exhaust pipe |55. Thereby the air is blown diagonally upwardly or downwardly across the hides, the arrangement of the ducts being reversed in the successive compartments so that the conduit |50 from each unit supplies air to both compartments of the group served by that unit.

An alternate arrangement of ducts is shown in Fig. 13. Air is supplied by each unit through a conduit |50 to a single duct |42 which extends across the compartment and is withdrawn by a conduit |9| through a single duct |53. Apertures |94 permit the air to enter or leave the compartments. The arrangement of ducts is reversed as in theconstruction shown in Fig. 12 and the air is blown directly down or up over the surfaces of the hides.

'Ihe apparatus disclosed in Figs. 14 to 29 inclusive and now to be described is of the tunnel type in which the hides travel in a straight line being fedinto one end of the tunnel and discharged from the other end. The hides are here shown as mounted upon boards and not suspended from rods. The hides are preferably treated in pairs. two boards placed back to back with the hides supported thereon exposedbeing handled as a unit.

The various types of drying apparatus of the tunnel type here shown differ from each other in the handling of the drying air and each comprises a housing 200 equipped with a conveyor which includes four chains arranged, two at the top of the housing designated as 20| and two at the bottom of the housing designated as 202 and a plurality of suitably arranged chain supporting sprockets 203. Mounted in register on the upper and lower pairs of chains are channular carriers 204 by which pairs of hide carrying boards 205 are supported and advanced through the housing 200. The chains may be ofany well known type guided by tracks 209 and driven by suitable power means not shown. The boards 205 are slipped between a pair of carriers, a feed table 201 being mounted at one side of the conveyor at the entrance to the housing to serve as a preliminary The hides under treatment are subjected to a stream of unconditioned air as they pass through the first iive compartmen and to a stream of conditioned air as they p through the final compartment 2| 5. Air is forced into the housing at room temperature into compartment 2|4 through a conduit 2 I6 and withdrawn from compartment k2|0 through a conduit 2|1. `Each of compartments 2I0, 2|2 and 2| 4 are provided with fans 2I8 and h'eaters 2I9 by which the air is kept in motion and its temperature is raised. The fans and heaters are mounted in the upper portions of the compartments so that the hides travel undisturbed below them. Bafile plates 220 define the compartments and assist in guiding the air.

The air, by the action of the fans 2|8 and heaters 2|9, is heated and forced downwardly in compartments 2| 4, 2 l2 and 2|8; and rises in compartments 2|3 and 2| I. The spaces at the sides `of the conveyor are closed as shown in Fig. 29 to confine the travel of the air sol that it will contact repeatedly with the hides under treatment.

Air conditioned by the dehydrator unit `22| is introduced into the compartment 2 I 5 of the housing through a conduit 222 and withdrawn therefrom through a conduit 223. A plurality of fans 224 and heaters 225 mounted in the compartment 2|5 over the hides keep the conditioned air in motion downwardly directly across the surfaces of the hides and raise the temperature of the air.

As the hides move through the housing they are acted upon by vertically travelling streams of air those in compartments 2| I and 2 I3 moving upwardly and those in the other compartments moving downwardly. The moisture content of the air streams decreases'as the hides travel that in compartment 2|4 being of heated room air and that incompartment 2|5 being of heated conditioned air.

When the temperature of the drying air is comparatively low the motors 226 by which the fans 2| 8 and 224 are driven are mounted within the casing of the housing 200 as shown in Fig. 18. When, however, the drying airis at a higher temperature the motors 226 are preferably mounted outside the casingand the return run of the chains 28| is accordingly raised (see Fig. 19).

Figs. 20 and 21 illustrate another form of apparatus in which, beside the room air and the conditioned air units employed in the apparatus shown in Figs. 14 and 15, additional units are provided. The housing 200 is divided into seven compartments numbered 230 to 236, inclusive, separated by bafiie plates 231. The air streams flow directly over the hides as indicated in Fig. 29. The first two compartments are equipped with independent air units 238. Each unit includes a fan and heater member 239, an intake conduit 240 and an exhaust conduit 24|. The units are so arranged that the heated air flows downwardly over the hides as they travel through compartment 230 and upwardly over the hides as they travel through compartment 23|. The hides as they pass through compartments 232, 233, 234 and 235 are subjected to a stream of room air which enters compartment 235 through conduit 242 is advanced by fans 243\and acted on by heaters 244, both fans and heaters being mounted at the top of sections 233 and 235,.and passes olf through conduit 245. A conduit 246 connects the conduits 242 and 245 and serves as a by pass to permit the recirculation of part or al1 of the air, as desired, shutters 241 permitting this control. I'he hides passing through the iinal compartment 236 are subjected to a stream of heated conditioned air which passes from a dehydrator unit 248 through a conduit 248, into the housing, is

advanced by fans 250, part passing through heaters 25|. over the hides and returns to the dehydrator t through a conduit 252. The heating units 238 which act upon the hides as they pass through compartmentsn and 23| may or may not be set into operation depending upon the condition of the hides under treatment.

Figs. 22 and 23 illustrate another form of drying apparatus of the tunnel type.A This follows in general construction the apparatus shown in Figs.

14 and 15 and Figs. 20 and 21 having the cross section shown in Fig. 29. The housing 200 is divided into a plurality of compartments by means of baille plates 250`mounted in the housing above the lower runs of the conveyor chains 20|. There are no bafiie plates below the conveyor chains 202 and a continuous stream of air is set up through that part of the housing. The air which may or may not be conditioned and which may or may not be'heated is introduced into the feeding end of the housing by a conduit 25| and withdrawn from the discharge end thereofby a conduit 252. Mounted in the upper part of all or some of the compartments are air heating and circulating units. Each unit comprises a heater 253 mounted parallel to and in alignment with the bame plates, and a battery of fans 254 (three being here shown) .driven by a motor 255. The fans 254 set up a current of air from the stream in the lower part of the housing, through the heaters 253 and back to the stream. This current of air passes between the hide supporting boards and over the hides to remove moisture therefrom.

A form of drying apparatus wherein the air is recirculated in each compartment-passing in one direction only over the hides and passing in the other direction at the sides of the conveyor is shown in Figs. 24, 25 and 28. The housing 200 is divided at top and bottom into a plurality of compartments designated as 260, to 265 inclusive. At the upper section of each compartment are provided fan units 266 and fan and heater units261 the latter differing from the former in that they include, beside a fan 268, a heater 269 (see Fig. 25). 'I'he units of the various compartments are independently operated by means not shown so that the units in all or any number of compartments can be operated as the conditions of the hides under treatment require.

In compartments 26|! to 264, inclusive, the air circulated enters with the hides. Conditioned air is, however, supplied to compartment 265 from a dehydrator unit 210 through a conduit 21| and returned to the unit through a conduit 212. The units in the compartments 26|) and 26| are arranged in a single centrally located row (see Fig. 24) so that the drying is started along the longitudinal center of the hides. It is obvious that since the centers are the portions which dry most slowly this arrangement insures a thorough drying of the entire surface of the hides.

Figs. 26 and 2'1 illustrate a modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. 24 in that conditioned air is supplied to the next to the last compartment designated by the numeral 215 and moist airis supplied to the last compartment designated by the ntuneral 216. Conduits 211 and 218 feed to and withdraw from the compartment 215 the air conditioned by a dehydrator unit 219. Similarly conduits 280 and 28| serve the compartments 216 with air prepared by a humidier unit units 283 and fan and heater units 284 similar to the units 266 and 261 of the apparatus shown in Fig. 24.

'I'he nal treatment of the hides with humidied air is, under some conditions, of advantage since the hides are thereby discharged from the apparatus with a predetermined amount of moisture therein.

One feature of this invention is to localize the direction of the air streams so that they contact primarily denite areas of the hides. One means for so doing is shown in Fig. 24 Where the units in compartments 260 and 26i act directly upon the longitudinal centers of the hides. Other means for so doing might be provided, as for example, the apertures through which the air streams are directed upon the hides in the constructions shown in Figs. 9, 10, 12 and 13 might' be restricted in number in certain at least of the compartments to direct the streams so that they contact initially with the longitudinal centers of the hides. Similarly where conditions require it portions of the hides other than the longitudinal centers may be contacted primarily by the air streams as by shifting the locations of the units in compartments 260 and 26| or the apertures y provided in Figs. 9, 10, 12 and 13.

Various forms of apparatus embodying this invention have been shown and described in order to bring out several ways of'drying the leather.

' It will, however, be understood that the invention is not limited to the speciilc structures and ar rangements disclosed and that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. That treatment of leather which includes the following steps; transporting the leather through a plurality of compartments divided into two groups, subjecting the leather as it travels through the initial group of said compartment to the action of a stream of dry conditioned alr set up in that group of compartments by which the moisture content of the leather is reduced and thereafter subjecting the leather as it travels through the final group of compartments to the action of a stream of humid conditioned air set up in that group of compartments by which the moisture content of the leather is increased to a predetermined amount. the stream of air set up in the initial group of compartments flowing in a direction opposite to thatin which the leather travels and the stream of air set up in the final group of compartments flowing in the same direction as that in which the leather travels.

2. That treatment of leather which includes the following steps; transporting the leather through a plurality of compartments divided into two groups, reducing the moisture content of the leather as it travels through the initialv group of compartmentsl by subjecting it tothe action of a stream of dry conditioned air set up in that group of compartments in a direction opposite to that in which the leather travels, reconditioning a part at least of the airstream las it flows through such compartments, and increasing the moisture content ofthe leather' to a predetermined amount as it travels through the nal group of compartments' bysubjcting' it to the actionof a stre rn of humid conditioned air set up in that g up of compartments in the same direction as that in which the leather travels.

3. That treatmenty oflhides which includes the following steps; transporting the hides through a plurality of compartments subjecting the hides as they travel through certain at least of the compartments tothe action of streams of air set up in such compartments, said streams ilowing at right angles to the path of travel of the hides, and impacting the surfaces vthereof diagonally.

4. That treatment of hides which'includes the following steps; transporting the hides through a plurality of compartments subjecting the hides as they travel through certain at least of the compartments to the action of streams of air set up in such compartments, said streams flowing at right angles to the path of travel of the hides and those in one or more compartments impacting the longitudinal center of the hide surfaces.

5. That treatment of hides which includes the following steps; transporting the hides through a plurality of compartments, subjecting the hides as they travel through certain at least ofthe compartments to the action of streams of air set up in such compartments, said streams flowing at right angles to the path of travel of the hides, the streams in certain of said compartments owing both upwardly and `downwardly over the hides.

6. Drying apparatus comprising a housing divided into a plurality of compartments,V conveyor mechanism for advancing the material to be dried through thev compartments seriatlm, ducts extending longitudinally at the top and bottom of certain of said compartments and connected therewith through apertures in the walls of the ducts, and means for supplying air to said compartments through certain of said ducts and withdrawing it therefrom through other of said ducts, the air in the passages between the ducts traveling at rightl angles to the path of travel of the material.

, I CHESTER S. JENNI'NGS.

FRANK W. .GERARD. 

